Famous Soccer Players |
Ronaldo  onaldo is born in the poor suburbs of Rio de Janeiro under the name Luis Nazario de Lima. Driven by his childhood hero Zico, the youngster enters football early in his life.  By his 12th birthday he is playing in an organized youth club called Tennis Club Valqueire. With Valqueire, he plays "futebol de salão" or small-sided football with a miniature ball. This is considered an important step in Ronaldo's development as playing with a smaller ball is said to rapidly increase skill.
| Player | Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima (1976-) | | Nation | Brazil | | Position | Attacker | | Dribbling |  | | Shooting |  | | Passing |  | | Heading |  | | Control | | | Tackling |  | | Speed | | | Creativity | | | | | Diego Maradona  iego Maradona has enthralled both fans and critics during the long span of his career.  He debuted in professional football during 1975 and played his farewell match in November of 2001. Throughout quarter of a century, Diego Armando Maradona has influenced a multitude of people including some of the top footballers today. In addition to his brilliant skill, the Argentine soccer player has stirred global controversy of unparalled magnitude. Regardless of his addiction to cocaine, failed doping tests and his wild on-pitch antics, Diego Maradona is still regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
| Player | Diego Maradona (1960-) | | Nation | Argentina | | Position | Midfielder/Attacker | | Dribbling | | | Shooting | | | Passing | | | Heading | | | Control | | | Tackling | | | Speed | | | Creativity | | | | |
Hristo Stoichkov  risto Stoichkov is the most successful Bulgarian soccer player of all time.  He debuted in professional football with CSKA Sofia and was later spotted by European giant FC Barcelona. Stoichkov earned global acclaim after winning the Spanish Primera Division four consecutive times and taking his club to Champions League glory in 1992. He retired from soccer in December of 2003.
| Player | Hristo Stoichkov (1966-) | | Nation | Bulgaria | | Position | Left Wing/Attacker | | Dribbling | | | Shooting | | | Passing | | | Heading | | | Control | | | Tackling | | | Speed | | | Creativity | | | | | Zinedine Zidane  inedine Zidane is born in France on the 23rd of June in 1972. His parents of Algerian descent have a total of five children.  As a kid, school is not his strongest asset so he turns to football. By the age of 16, a scout by the name of Jean Varraud recruits the youngster to Cannes. One year later, Zizou makes his debut with the club's senior squad in the French First Division. He is signed by Bordeaux in 1992. With his new club, Zidane reaches the UEFA Cup final in 1995/96 and attracts the attention of European powerhouse Juventus.
| Player | Zinedine Zidane (1972-) | | Nation | France | | Position | Midfield | | Dribbling | | | Shooting | | | Passing | | | Heading | | | Control | | | Tackling | | | Speed | | | Creativity | | | | |
Trifon Ivanov  rifon Ivanov was born in Gorna Lipnitza, located in the northeast Bulgarian district of Veliko Turnovo. He began his professional  career with the local club Etar at the age of 18. In the very same team, he played alongside with Krasimir Balakov, Ilian Kiriakov and a few other talented soccer players. By his 24th birthday, Trifon gets drafted by elite Bulgarian club, CSKA Sofia. With CSKA, Ivanov wins the Bulgarian championship in 1989, 1990, and 1992. He also takes the Bulgarian Cup for 1989. Trifon earned even more attention with CSKA by playing in international soccer competition next to soccer players like Hristo Stoichkov, Emil Kostadinov, and Luboslav Penev.
| Player | Trifon Ivanov (1965-) | | Nation | Bulgaria | | Position | Stopper/Sweeper | | Dribbling | | | Shooting | | | Passing | | | Heading | | | Control | | | Tackling | | | Speed | | | Creativity | | | | | David Beckham avid Beckham signed with the youth squad of Manchester United in July of 1991,  at the tender age of sixteen. It took him about five years of playing with the youth squad, reserves and on loan (with Preston North End) until he got permanently established in the first Man U team.
By the 1997/8 season, he attracted enough attention to get selected for England's World Cup team. | Player | David Beckham (1975-) | | Nation | England | | Position | Right wing | | Dribbling | | | Shooting | | | Passing | | | Heading | | | Control | | | Tackling | | | Speed | | | Creativity | | | | |
Pele  elé is the first soccer player to truly reach superstar status.  His name is still mentioned even today, more than a quarter century after his retirement. Apart from his popularity, Pelé's life story is what all soccer players dream of. He began as a poor boy from the slums in Tres Coracoes, Brazil but earned fame and fortune through his talent on the pitch.
| Player | Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-) | | Nation | Brazil | | Position | Striker | | Dribbling | | | Shooting | | | Passing | | | Heading | | | Control | | | Tackling | | | Speed | | | Creativity | | | | | Pavel Nedved avel Nedved was born in the town of Cheb, near Prague, the capital of former Czechoslovakia. Parents Vaclav and Ana raised Pavel along with his older sister and encouraged him to become an accountant.  By the age of 19, Nedved debuted with Dukla Praga and less than a season later he was recruited by rivals Sparta. At Sparta, success also came promptly and the club took three consecutive league titles between 1992 to 1995. | Player | Pavel Nedved (1972-) | | Nation | Czech Republic | | Position | Left midfieder | | Dribbling | | | Shooting | | | Passing | | | Heading | | | Control | | | Tackling | | | Speed | | | Creativity | | | | |
Raul Gonzalez aul Gonzalez Blanco was born on June 27th 1977 in Madrid, Spain. He was brought up in a modest quarter of the city, the colony of San Cristobal de los Angeles.  Raul is a product of Atletico Madrid's youth system but was picked up by rivals Real during a financial slump at his former club. Real's coach Jorge Valdano introduced him to the starting lineup at 17, and the youngster did not disappoint scoring six goals in his first 11 games. | Player | Raul Gonzalez Blanco (1977-) | | Nation | Spanish | | Position | Striker | | Dribbling | | | Shooting | | | Passing | | | Heading | | | Control | | | Tackling | | | Speed | | | Creativity | | | | | Luis Figo  uis Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo was born on the 4th of November, 1972 as the only son of parents Antonio and Maria Joana. He grew up in a modest family in Almada, the working-class district of Lisbon.  Luis began his career as a street footballer at Os Pastilhas, before joining Sporting Lisbon at the age of 11. As a youngster, Figo won the U-16 European Championship and the 1991 World Youth Cup.
| Player | Luis Figo (1972-) | | Nation | Portuguese | | Position | Right winger | | Dribbling | | | Shooting | | | Passing | | | Heading | | | Control | | | Tackling | | | Speed | | | Creativity | | | | |
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